Folded materials are useful in packaging technology, sandwich structures, floor boards, car bumpers and other applications where requirements pertaining to shock, vibration, energy absorption, and/or a high strength-to-weight ratio including volume reduction must be met.
Continuous folding machines should have versatility, flexibility, and high production rates. Additionally, a machine that can additionally accomplish folding in an inexpensive manner is most rare.
The present inventive machine not only accomplishes the folding of materials in accordance with the aforementioned objectives, but is unique in its ability to fold materials over a wide range of sizes. The machine is also unusual, in that it can handle a wider range of materials.
A machine with the ability to fold different types of sheet materials, as opposed to mere metal, provides a cost saving, because users need invest in only one machine.
A single machine that can fold many different patterns and which can accommodate different materials demonstrates the flexibility of the current invention.
The inventive machine can generate patterns with extensive geometric variations within the same family of patterns. The generated patterns can then be used in many applications such as cores for sandwiched structures, pallets, bridge decks, floor decks, and packaging applications.
The invention accomplishes all of the above objectives by having both a unique structure and unique programming. The programming allows for the change of the folding sequence, so that different patterns can be produced. The programming also allows for change of materials. The programming is the subject of a co-pending U.S. application, Ser. No. 09/952,057; filed Sep. 14, 2001, now published application Pub. No. 2002/0094926A1, the teachings of which are intended to be incorporated herein by reference.
In a general overview, the inventive machine causes the material to “funnel” towards an end section, which imparts the final folds or pattern. The funnel process can be thought of as a method that forces, converges, or continuously positions the material towards the final section of the machine, where the material is then finally folded in the desired pattern.